Study Reveals 'New Rules of Customer Engagement'

Verint Systems recently released the results of new research it conducted in partnership with the consulting firm Ovum. The findings, say researchers, reinforce the demand for “quick and convenient service coupled with a calculated approach to personalization in order to foster customer engagement.” Some highlights:

Effortless Resolution is King, Relationships Secondary. When asked to choose between “All I want are my questions answered” and “I want companies to know my mood and respond accordingly,” 80% of respondents chose “my questions answered.” Additionally, the two top-rated responses that created a positive impression of companies were: “I felt they dealt with my request quickly (47%)” and “they understood my issue and history (34%).”

Companies Need to Navigate Between ‘Stranger’ and ‘Stalker.’ When given a choice of “I like it when service is personalized to me and my interests” and “I am suspicious about how my data is used,” responses were nearly split (51% to 49%, respectively). Younger Americans (ages 18-34) were more comfortable with personalization (59%) compared with Americans ages 35+, where less than half (46%) indicated they would choose personalization over privacy concerns.

Long-Term Engagements is On the Decline. Since 2012, the percentage of respondents who indicated they maintained a relationship with their service provider for three years or more has declined from 85% to 60%. Americans ages 35+ were more likely to maintain long-term relationships (70%) as compared to younger Americans (ages 18-34), where less than half (40%) indicated they had been with service providers for three years or more.